Bicycle



(No Model.)

T. S. MILLER.

BIGYGLE.

Patented Oct. 27, 1896.

I I 0 III UNITED STATES Enron,

' ATENT BICYCLE,

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 570,179, dated October 27, 1896.

Application filed July 22, 1895. Serial No. 556,742. (No model.)

ton, in the county of Des Moines and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bicycles, which are fully set forth in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,-

forming a part hereof, and in which Figure 1 shows my invention applied to a bicycle-frame, which, with the fork-stem, is shown partly in section and the handles broken away. Fig. 2 shows the upper end of the fork-stem in perspective and the frame holding it and band f in central longitudinal section. Fig. 3 shows the lower end of the handle-bar post in perspective, with a portion broken away to show its internal construction. Fig. 4 shows, on an enlarged scale, a transverse section of my new device for bicycles.

Like letters refer to like parts.

The object of my invention is to make the handles of bicycles vertically adjustable while in actual use and free from any danger of injury to rider or machine.

To attain said desirable ends, 1 construct my new and improved bicycle in substantially the following manner, namely: I provide the handle bar post a with a longitudinal groove a substantially from end to end. On the interior of the fork-stem b is a head I) at its upper end of about two inches or other suitable length, which fits and slides snugly in said groove a. The fork-stem is provided at its upper end with diverging slots '71 whereby the wings between the head I) and slot h yield more readily to the action of the band f than they would if said slots were parallel with the sides or axis of the tube. Said band has lugs at its ends through which passes a threaded bolt 15, having a large round head to make it fit the hand and give it the needed pressure with slight force. By means of said bolt the ends of the band f are drawn together and the wings of the fork-stem under it closed upon the handle-bar post, which is thus firmly held in any position it may be raised or lowered to.

On account of the divergent direction of said slots h and their position the upper end of the fork-stem will yield easiest. Therefore the hole of the band is made tapering,

of larger diameter below, so as .to make the whole surface of the band press the stem with equal pressure instead of mostly or entirely at one edge, as would otherwise be the case. The tapering hole in f is shown in Fig. 2.

As the post a slides freely in the stem 1), it may be raised and lowered and by means of said clamp f and screw 2' be set to any desired height while riding, because said post cannot turn within its fork-stem. The wheel is under as absolute control therefore whether the handle-bar post is fast or loose, and it may therefore be set with perfect safety and case while riding.

The clamp or band f is not depended upon in my structure for preventing the parts a b from turning axially on each other, but merely to hold the handle-bar post a at suitable height.

In the lower end of the groove a is a transverse slot through which passes the free end 0' of a spring 0, which may be formed of a round wire, of which the opposite end is fastened to the interior of the post a at 0 On opposite sides of channel a, in line with spring 0 and immediately below the head Z), are holes 19 through which pass spurs d, fixed to a plate d, forming their handle, and corresponding to said holes and spring 0 are slots b*", which extend to the end of the handle-bar post. By means of said mechanism the-spring end 0' may be depressed into the position indicated in the broken outlines shown in Fig. 4. By thus passing said spring beyond the head Z)" and at the same time raising the handle-bar post said post may be removed from the machine, to which it is otherwise locked by said spring end, because the spring end will strike against the under end of the head I), and thus lock the parts together.

Bicycle-riders are well aware that it is often very desirable to control the height of the handles while riding, because thereby they are enabled to lower their bodies,and hence to attain a higherspeed, or to ride more easily againsta head wind. These conditions cannot be overcome with fixed handles, but are avoided now by my construction, as the rider is not obliged to stop and dismount while he makes this adjustment of the handles, as it can be made easily and quickly while riding.

Another almost equally important advantage gained hereby is in the fact that a change of position held for some time relieves from its wearisomeness through the change of position of the handles now so easily attained.

hat I claim is- The combination with a tubular holder and tubular fork-stem with divergent slots proj eeting above said holder and a thereto-fixed and conoidally-bored clamping-band, to hold said parts together, of a short interior rib at 10 the upper end of said fork-stem and a tubular longitudinally-grooved handle-bar post Within said fork-stem and rib in said groove, substantially as specified.

THOMAS S. MILLER. *itnesses:

WM. ZIMMERMAN, E. E. MILLER. 

